A Brooklyn driver who gravely injured a 33-year-old woman in Williamsburg in November had a history of speeding, Streetsblog reports.
75-year-old Julio Didy, operating a Hyundai Sonata, sped down Manhattan Avenue on Tuesday, November 25, jumping the curb to barrel down the sidewalk and maiming Maggie Duffy. Didy then crashed into a fire alarm call box, which prevented him from traveling further and causing more damage. Bystanders, including a medical assistant, intervened immediately and helped Duffy before authorities arrived.
The NYPD could not yet officially confirm what led Didy to speed, but a source told Streetsblog that he lost control of the car (a witness also said they thought he was trying to outmaneuver a parked UPS truck). The outlet also notes that the agency’s Collision Investigation Squad is not in charge, despite a woman losing a limb, as they are generally directed to focus on fatal or high-profile crashes.
We reached out to the NYPD for more information and were told that no arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Didy has been caught speeding.
“City speed cameras had flagged Didy’s Florida-plated car exceeding the speed limit by 11 miles per hour four times since May 2025 — including just one month before the crash,” the outlet writes.
“Had those tickets been written by a cop, they would have put 16 points on Didy’s license — enough to suspend it.”
While the NYPD continues to pass the buck, Duffy’s community has rallied around her, launching a nearly complete GoFundMe campaign. Funds will go toward paying medical expenses and helping Duffy’s Manhattan vintage store continue to operate.
Disgusting. Anyone else would be prosecuted. License should be suspended for 5 years, at least